1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotary connector which is provided in a steering device or the like of an automobile, and has a structure in which a cable is disposed in a wiring space between a housing and a rotary body which is provided inside the housing, and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-182072 discloses a rotary connector which is installed in a steering device of an automobile.
In the rotary connector, a movable housing is rotatably combined into a fixed housing, and a flat cable is disposed in an annular space between both housings. A first lead block is fixed to the fixed housing, and a second lead block is fixed to the movable housing. Each lead block includes an insulating support member and a plurality of pin terminals which are held by the support member.
The flat cable is wound such that the surface of the cable is directed so as to be parallel to a rotation center line of the movable housing, and is disposed in the annular space. In addition, a fixed end portion of the flat cable is fixed to the support member of the first lead block, a strip conductor inside the flat cable is welded to a fixed pin terminal, a movable end portion of the flat cable is fixed to the support member of the second lead block, and the strip conductor is welded to a movable pin terminal.
As shown in FIG. 9 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-182072, in the rotary connector of the related art, in the fixed housing, the annular space into which the flat cable is wound and the first lead block are not disposed at the same position in the direction along the rotation center line of the movable housing, and the annular space and the first lead block are positioned so as to be vertically separated. Accordingly, the fixed end portion of the flat cable wound into the annular space extends so as to be three-dimensionally bent to be extracted below the annular space, and is fixed to the first lead block.
In this structure, a complicated operation of three-dimensionally bending the flat cable is troublesome, and an assembly operation is complicated. In addition, if a bending position of the flat cable is deviated from a design position, unnecessary stress is applied to the flat cable inside the annular space. Accordingly, when the flat cable moves in the annular space, the flat cable is bent or is pressed to an inner wall of the annular space by a strong force, and there is a concern that the flat cable may be damaged by an excessive friction force.
In addition, it is difficult to automatically perform a process of receiving the flat cable in a state where the flat cable is three-dimensionally bent in the annular space, using an automatic machine.